
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 24, 1995                   TAG: 9506260065
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARY BISHOP
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CHURCH CONGREGATION HOPES TO REBUILD ITS HISTORY AFTER FIRE

Two months after the historic First Baptist Church in Gainsboro was destroyed by fire, its future remains uncertain.

The congregation, which built a new church a block away in 1982, hasn't decided whether to save the ruins of the old church.

A Richmond structural engineer has proposed an open-air theater for meditation or musical performances.

Bill Davis, a specialist in saving historic churches, envisions a partial covering over the former altar, and curved concrete benches in place of the sanctuary's prized pews. He is preparing cost estimates.

"The options are to tear it down and lose the entire history," he said, "or do some of this concept where you preserve and reuse." He'd like to show slides of his ideas to the church and get their feedback.

by CNB